Customer Reviews

M'Bemba

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You really don't have to understand the lyrics to be able to enjoy this cd. The music takes me on a jouney - it is calming but also very energizing in a positive way. I catch myself either tapping my foot or nodding my head side to side to most of the tracks on this cd. I've never heard of this artist, and never listened to any type of African music before. This was a random cd purchase, with a $15 gift certificate I had to burn, and just wanted something "different". Well, I got what I was looking for - and I love it!

- admiring description given to Salif Keita's voice could not be more aptly applied to this, his most recent CD. The songs bring out his beautiful tenor set against the backdrop of the West African beat. His many years abroad have left their mark in his music combining rich harmonies with instrumentation that supports his extraordinary tonal presentation. Accompanied by a choral of his sisters and a range of acoustic and traditional instruments, he presents a good range of rhythms for his songs.

After 35 years living abroad, he has finally returned to Mali and recorded this CD in his new studios in Bamako on the shore of the Niger river. Being albino, he was rejected by his family as a bad omen. Also, as a young man intent to pursue his musical ambitions he had to leave Mali and abandon the privileges of his noble descent. As an internationally acclaimed musician, he has return to his roots.

The themes of this collection centre around love, lost or found, as well as trust and respect for the wisdom of elders. His voice is warm and deeply moving when he sings in his native Bambara with some French thrown in. For M'Bemba, the title song, he is joined by Mali's kora virtuoso Toumani Diabate, adding a soft and gentle touch to the music. M'Bemba, meaning "grandfather" speaks about the importance of the griots, the ancestral singers of families, and his own ancestor, the famed king Sundiate Keita. I would be hard pressed to choose my favourites among the songs. It is a CD that one want to listen to many times over. The pieces also make great dance music. As has been shown recently in life performances, such as in my home town, where he got everybody up from their seats and swinging and dancing the night away. [Friederike Knabe]

Salif Keita's sublime musical creations transcend pigeon-holing as either "African" or "world music" and have earned him a place at the top table of important musical innovators of the past 30 years, now with true global appeal. This has been achieved without compromising the raw African core of the music, even when subtler influences of western harmonic structure and sophisticated tempo-changes make their presence felt - and perhaps take the music to a wider audience.

This excellent 2006 album was Salif's first to be recorded at his new studio in Bamako, on finally relocating to Mali after decades in exile in Paris.

Reportedly, "M'Bemba" means specifically "grandfather" or more generally "ancestor". In keeping with its immediate Paris-recorded predecessor "Moffou", this album contains distinctive griot-style pieces which feature musicians Dielly Moussa Kouyate, Jean-Louis Solans, Kante Manfila, Harouna Samake and others. Hadja Kouyate, Aida Khann and Djanka Diabate (with Altine Tamboura and Sirandou Sissiko on a couple of numbers) belt out delightfully harmonised choral lines to anchor the melodies over which the big man delivers his distinctively soulful vocals. The lyrics are sung in a combination of Bambara and French.

The album brings to mind the passionate intensity of "Soro", from the tuneful opener "Bobo" with its vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar lead, to the closer "Calculer." "Laban" in particular, with its mid-song key and tempo-change, has become a perennial stage favourite with its shiver-down-the-spine melody and powerfully delivered minor-key chorus. It's a real belter, and you'll play it again and again. The album is evidence of Keita's coming-of-age as a top-notch composer, arranger and band leader, and characterised by high production values all round. Some of the pieces however, are complex, not immediately accessible and do require repeated listening.

If you are already a Salif Keita convert, "M'Bemba" is up there with "Moffou" and "Soro". If you're new to music from Mali and want to find out what all the fuss is about, this is a great place to start.

Salif Keita's probably been my favorite artist for 20 years -- so glad to add this to my collection. His voice is incredible!

This is the best album out for my favorite AfroPop star. All of the tracks are good listening, but 2/3 of them are awesome - if you like Keita and are only going to buy one album, this is the one.

Salif Keita is one of Africa's best songwriter/singers. He is at his best in this album.

I am a big Salif Keita Fan and I've been following his music for the last 6 years. I know most people are not going to agree with this but M'Bemba is my least favorite album from all his collections. In my opinion the only song that stands out on this album is track # 2 " Leban" which I think is one of his best songs ever. I still believe " Folon....the Past" is his greatest work ever.

M'Bemba is nominated in the World category for the 49th Grammys. Love those Mali sounds!